Psychologist ranking dropped after 'union' pressure

Julie Robotham

A PLAN to give patients more information about the qualifications of psychologists has been reversed, in a move critics say is a capitulation to ''trade union'' tactics by the profession's leading body that risks the health of vulnerable people.

Clinical psychologists, who have two years' postgraduate training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, would have received separate recognition from other registered psychologists under a proposal by the Psychology Board of Australia. The board will be responsible for professional standards after the registration of psychologists transfers from states to the national entity in July.

But that plan has been scrapped, after what is understood to have been intense lobbying by the Australian Psychological Society, which represents more than 17,500 members, about 3000 of whom are clinical psychologists.

In an October consultation paper, the board criticised the current situation in all states except Western Australia, in which ''there is a proliferation of titles psychologists can hold themselves out to have (eg. 'clinical psychologist' can be used by any general psychologist without fear of sanction)''. It said reserving this title only for those with specialist qualifications would be ''consistent with the board's aim of protecting the public''.

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But in its final advice to the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council, submitted on December 22, it recommended all psychologists should be recognised equally, watering down its previous proposal to a ''practice endorsement'' for those with extra qualifications.

Endorsement arrangements would ''not of themselves restrict scopes of professional practice'', wrote the board's chairman, Brin Grenyer. But they would still let the board ''take a more active role in promoting the psychological welfare of the community'' to minimise ''risks to public health and safety, such as can occur from the misdiagnosis of children with developmental disorders''.

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Ian Hickie, executive director of the Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Sydney, called the climb-down ''a disaster''.

The move to national registration was ''an opportunity for a national standard and they've squibbed it for trade union reasons. They've let us all down,'' Professor Hickie said.

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Judy Hyde, clinical director of the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney, said the public was unaware that psychologists might have ''no training in the assessment, diagnosis or treatment of mental health problems''.

Heidi Sumich, a Sydney clinical psychologist, said she would resign today from the society and expected others to join her. Ms Sumich said this was not about denigrating registered psychologists - some of whom had relevant skills - but about patients' right to know who was treating them.

The stand-off comes amid growing concern about the cost of taxpayer-funded psychotherapy, which minimally-trained psychologists may offer with a slightly lower Medicare rebate than clinical psychologists. The scheme is projected to cost $1.5 billion in its first five years.

The Australian Psychological Society determines eligibility for the higher rebate - a role it would have lost under the board's original plan.

The society's executive director, Lyn Littlefield, declined an interview and provided only limited written responses to the Herald's questions.

In a December letter to clinical psychologists she wrote that the original plan would cause workforce shortages and warned it was vital for the society to present ''a united voice''.